Musicians band together to raise money to pay medical bills
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| Randy Genet, back in his MSW office. |
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By MATT ELLIOTT World Scene Writer
4/27/2007
Last December, Music Sound World owner Randy Genet went to a doctor about a pain he had in his side.
Doctors discovered he had a tumor the size of a grapefruit on one of his kidneys. They gave him two days to live, Genet said.
Then his wife flipped out and three doctors operated on him, removing the kidney and the tumor, which the music store owner described as looking like an "alien space ship."
Now, he's alive thanks to the doctors at St. Francis Hospital, but he's got a 50/50 chance the cancer will show up in his lungs. Right now he's cancer free.
But, then there's the matter of the approximately $85,000 in medical expenses. Genet, 58, didn't have health insurance because he never thought he'd need it.
"That's the reason I want people to get some kind of insurance if they can," said Genet, between helping customers.
The store's keyboards manager Terry Dikeman has organized a benefit Sunday for Genet, who otherwise would have to take out loans to pay the medical bills.
A host of local bands will perform. Also, Dikeman and others have mustered a host of donated musical instruments and other hardware for a silent auction. The auction items include several high-end electric guitars, amplifiers and some recording hardware.
Genet is a lifelong Tulsa resident and has been a music lover since he started playing saxophone at 14. He started Music Sound World in 1974 with a small business loan and has been at the same location, 2715 S. Memorial Drive, since 1976.
He and his three employees pride themselves on their service. The only time Genet, who has four children, missed a significant amount of work was the six weeks he spent recovering from the surgery.
You'd think someone who had a close brush with death and faces extreme financial hardship might be dreading the future.
"I'm not worried about it," he said.
Donations can be sent to the Randy Genet Fundraising Account at Security Bank, P.O. Box 47316, Tulsa, 74147.
Matt Elliott 581-8366
matt.elliott@tulsaworld.com
Randy Genet Fundraiser
When:
2-10 p.m. Sunday, with David Dover featuring Rocky Frisco, Tulsa Boyz, Wanda Watson Band, Steve Pryor, the Zigs, Glenn R. Townsend featuring Bill Snow, Infinity, Jumpshots, the Plumbers.
Where:
Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 577, 1109 E. Sixth St.
Admission:
$10 minimum donation
By MATT ELLIOTT World Scene Writer
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